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Very Short Reviews Of Difficult Books

Wed, 08/06/2014 - 10:20am — admin

Ah, classic literary fiction. It can be so wonderful, but at times dense, leaving us wishing for a guide to lead us through the venerable prose. Enter: Italian artist and writer Francesco D'Isa, who reviews the classics in a candid, tongue-in-cheek (and very short) way. We're happy to bring his column, "Very Short Reviews of Difficult Books," to English language readers! Check back here every Wednesday for three new reviews from Francesco.

The Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake

If Lewis Carroll had ordered Kafka to write the Lord of the Rings, well, something like the Gormenghast series would be born.

Plot: In a castle strange things happen.

Rating: ●●●●○

Historie d'O by Pauline Reage

Unlike 50 Shades this book captures the very essence of sadomasochism, namely that "The chains [...] that should imprison her deep within herself [...] released her from herself"

Plot: A girl does everything she's commanded to do.

Rating: ●●●○○

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

A man must always fight for something, what for doesn't matter. Just something.

Ready to add some old school titles to your reading list? Check back next week for some more Very Short Reviews of Difficult books, and in the meantime, why not catch up on some lighter fare on our Everything Romance page?

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March Ratings

Download the ratings for all the new books reviewed in the March issue, conveniently formatted on easily printable pages.